Cashew Beef — The Anniversary Dish That Keeps Showing Up

The bakery's seventeenth anniversary. March 2033. Sofia's speech, year twelve: "Seventeen years. Next year we're old enough to vote." The joke landed. The room laughed. I made chile colorado year seventeen. The recipe that is approaching its own adulthood, two decades of the same sauce on the same night, and the approaching-adulthood is the recipe's maturity, and the maturity is the unchanging, and the unchanging is the devotion.

The Anapra bakery is preparing for the third anniversary — eight years old, thriving, Lupita at the helm. The Anapra community has embraced the bakery the way the Lower Valley embraced ours: slowly, completely, with the particular loyalty of people who have found a place that serves their bread and remembers their name. Rosa's name. The bread and the name. Both are home.

Chile colorado has been my anniversary dish for seventeen years, and I know not everyone has that exact recipe living in their kitchen the way I do — so when I want to bring someone into the spirit of it, I reach for cashew beef: tender, saucy, deeply savory, the kind of dish that asks you to slow down and pay attention. It’s not the same as what I made that March night, but it carries the same intention — a meal that means something, served to people who have earned a seat at your table. Make it for a milestone. Make it for a Tuesday. Just make it with the same steadiness you bring to everything that matters.

Cashew Beef

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs flank steak or sirloin, thinly sliced against the grain
• 1 cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Cooked white rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Marinate the beef. In a bowl, toss the sliced beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and the cornstarch. Let rest for 10 minutes while you prep the remaining ingredients.
2. Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.
3. Sear the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the beef in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 1–2 minutes, then stir-fry for another minute until just browned. Transfer to a plate.
4. Cook the vegetables. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the bell pepper and broccoli and cook for 3–4 minutes until just tender-crisp.
5. Combine and finish. Return the beef to the pan, pour the sauce over everything, and toss to coat. Add the cashews and red pepper flakes if using, and stir-fry for 1 more minute until the sauce thickens slightly and everything is glazed.
6. Serve. Scatter green onions over the top and serve immediately over steamed white rice.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 480 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 890mg